Bowled Over

Published on February 04, 2008.

The best things about the Super Bowl: the Coke "It's Mine" spot. A surprise victory ruining a perfect party for the Patriots. Watching Bill Belichick perform the most super atomic mope ever captured on camera. One only wished Nelson Muntz could have been on hand to point and deliver the final "Hahhah!"

The worst things: Listing to neighbors scream "Wooooohooo" for a solid hour. Many of the ads, but more on that below.

First the winners.
Best Spot: Coca Cola "It's Mine." Proof that you can do a mass appeal spot with some dignity and wit.

Other highlights:

Tide "Interview" Proof you can make a product centric spot that isn't excruciating or forgettable (note to Wendy's).

Career Builder "Firefly." The terrible, terrible blinking spider can only be the mark of Thai director Suthon Petchsuwan, who has in the past demonstrated a nice touch with commercial creatures (see Jing Jok and Unif's Worms)

More lowlights: Bud Light, "Breathe Fire"—we saw the same gag in a Dairy Queen spicy burger spot; it wasn't funny there either. GMC, "Why Push"—why wrap the badass Yukon in a line-animation skin worthy of a financial services spot?

Errata: We're hoping next year Fox has enough bad series to plug so that this year's bumpers featuring football robot fighting a Terminator can also include a Predator and an Alien. ... At one party, both Hyundai's "Tomorrow" and Coke's "It's Mine" were victims of talkover; no one paid attention to either. ... An account of badger-related nightmares has surfaced. No word yet on copycat irresponsible big wheeling.